Mickelson live in studio Friday on 'Morning Drive'

Phil Mickelson will make his first appearance in Studio AP on Friday when he joins the crew on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive.”

Mickelson will be part of the two-hour show that begins at 8 a.m. ET, following live coverage of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. 

The world No. 3 last played earlier this month at the WGC-HSBC Champions, where he finished 14th. He will begin his 2014 season at the Jan. 16-19 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Stuard leads as play suspended in Mayakoba

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico - Brian Stuard topped the OHL Classic leaderboard at 5 under with three holes left Thursday when first-round play was suspended for the day because of rain and wet conditions.

More than 3 inches of rain soaked the Mayakoba Resort since early Wednesday night.

Play was suspended from 8:40 to 11 a.m., and stopped again at 1:22 p.m. It was called for the day at 3:30 p.m., with only 15 players able to finish their rounds on the El Camaleon course.

''The biggest thing was the lightning threat and the rain we received,'' said Slugger White, the vice president of rules and competition for the PGA Tour. ''We absolutely lost the golf course. With this rain it just knocked us out.''

More thunderstorms are expected Friday.

''We'll just grind through it again,'' White said.

Stuard had six birdies and a bogey. He had his best career PGA Tour finish in the 2010 event, tying for second behind Cameron Beckman.

Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton and Alvaro Quiros were a stroke back. Compton completed 17 holes, and Quiros finished 15.

Harris English, Jeff Maggert, Josh Teater and Jamie Lovemark were 3 under. English and Harris finished 17 holes, Maggert played 15, and Lovemark 12.

Defending champion John Huh had yet to tee off. He won the February 2012 event for his first PGA Tour title, parring the eighth hole of a playoff with Robert Allenby. The playoff matched the second-longest in tour history. Huh closed with a 63, while Allenby had a double bogey on the final hole of regulation.

The PGA Tour event offers full FedEx Cup points for the first time and the winner will get a spot in the Masters. It was previously played opposite the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play.

Stuard leads early at rain-plagued Mayakoba

The OHL Classic’s move to November is off to a predictably soggy start.

Thursday’s first round was twice suspended by inclement weather, with the second delay, just before 2:30 p.m. ET, eventually ending play for the day.

Play will resume at 7:45 a.m. ET Friday.

Brian Stuard is staked to the early lead, at 5 under through 15 holes. Erik Compton (thru 17) and Alvaro Quiros (thru 15) are a shot behind, with St. Jude Classic winner Harris English among the players at 3 under. 

Only 15 players have completed their opening round. Fifty-seven players have yet to tee off. 

The Mayakoba event used to be held opposite the WGC-Accenture Match Play in late February. Now, the mid-November date puts it squarely at the tail end of the rainy season on the Yucatán Peninsula. El Camaleon, the host course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, has been pounded by more than 10 inches of rain in the past few weeks. 

Weather was one of the major storylines during the 2013 PGA Tour season, when 22 of 40 were delayed for various reasons. Already in the new, wraparound season, two of the first six events have been delayed at some point.

G-Mac wants to partner with Rory at Ryder Cup

Surely this is welcome news to captain Paul McGinley:

Earlier this week Graeme McDowell denied once again that there was any rift between him and former stablemate Rory McIlroy, adding that he looks forward to joining forces again at next year’s Ryder Cup.

When asked by the Irish Independent whether McGinley had any reason for concern between the two Northern Irishmen, G-Mac replied, “No. There’s not a problem there. I’d love to renew my partnership at Gleneagles with Rory, for sure. A big goal for me in 2014 is to be on that team, and I expect Rory McIlroy will be on that team. 

“Would I like to be teeing off with him on Friday morning in the foursomes? Absolutely. I don’t think Captain McGinley needs to worry about that relationship.” 

That relationship, though, has been the topic of much speculation in the British papers, from the fallout from the management-team split to McIlroy skipping G-Mac’s nuptuals in the Bahamas. They have teamed up to go 2-3-1 in the last two Ryder Cups.

“Of course we’re still friends,” McDowell told the paper. “I’m inadvertently stuck in the middle of a legal matter. I’m very close to both parties and, of course, there’s going to be speculation about how that’s going to affect both relationships, which is a tough scenario.

“It’s tough for everyone, but Rory and I will always remain competitors, colleagues, peers and friends. I care a lot about what he does. I care a lot about how good he is and that will never change.”

Bishop interested in Royal Portrush as PGA host

There is no shortage of potential suitors if the PGA of America wants to take the year’s fourth major overseas.

But when asked Thursday on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” which international venue he has a strong interest in pursuing, PGA of America president Ted Bishop gave a surprising answer:

“Royal Portrush would be a great first international major,” he said. “I think given the powerful effect that Irish golfers have on the professional game today, that might be a good place to start.”

The PGA has already had in-house discussions about taking the year’s fourth major abroad, and the earliest possible year that the event could be held overseas would be 2020. 

There were reports this summer that the Open was set to be held at Royal Portrush in either 2018 or ’19, but the R&A denied that the venue has been determined. The Northern Ireland club has not hosted a major since 1951. 

The 2012 Irish Open was held at Royal Portrush, where more than 100,000 spectators passed through the gates. Perhaps that was enough to convince tournament organizers that a major could be held at one of golf’s most famous courses.

Stenson two back in bid to win Race to Dubai

Looking to secure the Race to Dubai title in addition to his FedEx Cup crown, Henrik Stenson got off to a strong start Thursday in Dubai. Here’s how things shape up after one round of the European Tour season-ending DP World Tour Championship, where Stenson sits two shots behind leaderAlejandro Canizares:

Leaderboard: Alejandro Canizares (-6), Marcus Fraser (-5), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-5), Henrik Stenson (-4), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (-4), Jamie Donaldson (-4)

What it means: Not much was solved Thursday, as many of the nine player still mathematically eligible to win the season-long title remain in the hunt. Stenson, though, can end the race with a win this week in Dubai, and appears in position to do just that through one round. Despite a missed putt from less than 3 feet on the final hole, Stenson's 4-under 68 was the best among players with a chance to win the Race to Dubai title.

Round of the day: Entering the week 54th in the Race to Dubai standings among the 60-man field, Canizares opened with a pair of birdies Thursday en route to an outward 3-under 33. The Spaniard added three consecutive birdies from Nos. 14-16 on his inward half, totaling seven birdies Thursday while setting the pace. Seeking his second career European Tour victory, Canizares takes a one-shot lead into the second round.

Best of the rest: Aphibarnrat got off to a strong start Thursday, playing his first 11 holes in 5 under. The Thai dropped a shot at 12, but bounced back with an eagle at the par-5 14th and, despite a bogey on the closing hole, sits just one shot off the pace. Like Canizares, he's in search of his second career European Tour title, which would serve as the highlight of what has been a noteworthy 2013 campaign for the 24-year-old.

Biggest disappointment: Beginning the week third in the overall standings, Graeme McDowell stumbled out of the gates, with bogeys on two of his first three holes. The Ulsterman was 3 over on his round through 13 holes, though he rallied somewhat with birdies on holes 14-16. Nevertheless, McDowell sits six shots off the pace through one round, having carded an even-par 72 on a day when low scores were abundant.

Main storyline heading into Friday: Though Canizares leads the tournament, much of the focus will be on Stenson as he looks to close in on the Race to Dubai title. Several players remain within striking distance of Stenson, though, including Justin Rose, who sits second in points and opened with a 2-under 70, and Ian Poulter, who is fourth in the standings and began with a 3-under 69. Even Welshman Donaldson kept his hopes alive Thursday, firing a 4-under 68 to keep pace with Stenson as he looks to move from fifth to first in the season-long race this week.

Quote of the day: "Frustrating to drop one there, but still good for the first round. I'm playing good, so not too worried about the game out there. Still three days to go." - Stenson, after closing with a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole.

McIlroy shoots shaky 71 with Wozniacki in gallery

Though he faded somewhat after a hot start,Rory McIlroy sits five shots off the pace after a 1-under 71 to begin the DP World Tour Championship. Thursday's round for the Ulsterman, though, was also notable for who was walking alongside him in Dubai.

McIlroy opened with three birdies across his first five holes, but was unable to birdie any of the final 11 holes on a day when 36 players in the 60-man field shot par or better. After the round, McIlroy was blunt in his assessment of his performance.

"I turned a 67 into a 71," the 24-year-old told The Telegraph. "I felt I played much better than I scored. But there is a low one out there for me."

While McIlroy toiled at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki made an appearance Thursday in his gallery, potentially putting to rest recent rumors of the couple's split. McIlroy has stated a desire to "keep my private life private," but he did comment on the tennis star joining him Thursday.

"It's good to have her here," he said. "She started her pre-season training a couple of days ago and was on the court at 7 a.m. practicing before coming to see me."

Singh not ready to begin Champions Tour career

Though he made his Champions Tour debut in September, former world No. 1 Vijay Singhis not ready to join the over-50 circuit on a full-time basis just yet.

"I played one (Champions Tour event) a couple months ago. It was different," explained Singhaccording to a Reuters report. "I'm not really looking forward to playing there at the moment."

Singh, who turned 50 in February, played on the Champions Tour at the Pacific Links Hawai'i Championship two months ago, tying for sixth among the 80-man field. Since then, though, he has made three starts on the PGA Tour – including a runner-up finish at the season-opening Frys.com Open – and this week is in the field for the Australian Masters.

"My game's pretty good right now. I had a pretty ordinary season last and a couple before that, with a couple operations on my knee," explained Singh, who opened Thursday with a 1-over 72 at Royal Melbourne. "This is the first year I feel like I'm able to compete again, and my game is coming around."

Singh's 2013 season was one filled with controversy, stemming from his admitted use of deer antler spray that contained the banned substance IGF-1. Originally thought to be in violation of the PGA Tour's anti-doping policy, the Fijian was ultimately cleared by the Tour after a successful appeal. With consequent litigation against the Tour still ongoing, Singh admitted that the controversy affected him during a season in which he failed to record a top-10 finish in 19 starts and missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time in his career.

"It kind of messed up my whole season, so the best thing I told myself is just focus on what I know best, which is just playing golf," he added. "The legal side will take care of itself."

After coming close to victory last month at CordeValle, the three-time major winner remains as focused as ever on winning for the 35th time before his PGA Tour career concludes.

"I think I want to win so bad, that's what's bugging me so much," said Singh, whose last win came at the 2008 Deutsche Bank Championship. "I don't want to go out there and be on the senior tour."

Phatlum leads by one at Ochoa Invitational

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Thailand'sPornanong Phatlum took the first-round lead Thursday in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, birdieing seven of the first 13 holes at Guadalajara Country Club.

The 23-year-old Phatlum, winless in five seasons on the LPGA Tour, dropped a stroke on the par-4 14th hole and finished with a 6-under 66.

Playing for the first time in Guadalajara, Phatlum birdied the first three holes. She added birdies on Nos. 7, 9, 11 and 13, and had only 25 putts.

''My putting was very good,'' Phatlum said. ''I had a complete game today. ... I just want to have fun on the course this week.''

Amy Yang was a stroke back, and fellow South Korean players Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryuwere two shots back at 68 along with Sweden's Anna Nordqvist.

Yang had six birdies and a bogey.

''I think I did everything so well today, especially putter,'' Yang said. ''I felt really good over the ball every time.''

She won the KEB Hanabank Championship last month in South Korea for her first LPGA Tour title.

''It really helped,'' Yang said. ''I had some chance to win before. When I didn't achieve it, I was wondering if I can do it or not. But since the first win, I have a lot of confidence, and now I'm enjoying it more.''

The top-ranked Park swept the first three major championships of the season and has three other LPGA Tour wins this season.

''My ball-striking was really good,'' Park said. ''I hardly missed any shots out there. I didn't miss any fairways and probably missed only a couple greens, but I was getting some muddy balls there and just didn't know where it was going to fly. I left a couple of putts out there and I had a lot of opportunities.''

She's winless in eight starts since the U.S. Women's Open in late June.

''I mean last few weeks, last few months actually, it's been a little bit frustrating with the putter,'' Park said. ''When I am hitting the ball good and not being able to score well because of the putting that is a little bit disappointing.''

Michelle Wie shot a 69. She won the 2009 tournament for the first of her two LPGA Tour victories.

Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen opened with a 70. The Norwegian player is coming off a successful title defense in the LPGA Taiwan, her third victory in her last five starts and fourth of the season.

Defending champion Cristie Kerr was last in the 36-player field at 77.

Tournament host Lorena Ochoa won 27 LPGA Tour titles before retiring in 2010.

Park trying to hang on for first S.Korean POY award

Rolex world No. 1 Inbee Park is back in action for the first time in three weeks looking to clinch becoming the first South Korean to win Rolex Player of the Year.

Park tees it up Thursday at the Lorena OchoaInvitational in her first start since tying for 28that the LPGA-KEB HanaBank Championship.

Given South Korea’s domination of the women’s game, it’s notable no player from that country has been the LPGA’s Player of the Year.

“It is almost weird to think that I would be the first one to achieve the Rolex Player of the Year as a Korean,” Park said in her pre-tournament news conference. “I can’t believe nobody has won the Rolex Player of the Year yet. So, that would be such a huge honor, especially for myself, and for my country, also.

“For the game of golf in Korea, it would mean so much, I think that’s why I have to really try to push myself.”

Unlike the PGA Tour’s vote, the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year is decided by points. Park leads the POY points list with 290. Suzann Pettersen is the only player who has a chance to catch Park in the final two events of the year. Pettersen has 252 points.

Pettersen must win one of the final two events and at least tie for third in the other to have a chance to overtake Park. A win is worth 30 points in each of the last two events with second place worth 12 points and third worth nine. Points are awarded down to 10th place.

“Not winning anything, not winning any awards after this kind of year, would be a little bit disappointing, a lot disappointing,” Park said. “I think I want to give it a best try, and I’d be glad after this year, so that’s what I am trying to do. Whether I achieve it or not, I am just going to try my best, so I don’t regret.”

Park won the U.S. Women’s Open in late June for her third consecutive major championship title, her sixth LPGA title of the year, but she seemed to run out of gas in her bid to win a fourth straight major at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Since that U.S. Women’s Open victory, Park has one top-10 finish in eight starts.

Pettersen can claim world No. 1 at Ochoa event

Inbee Park’s 31-week run at No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings is in jeopardy at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational with No. 2 Suzann Pettersen looking to win for the fourth time in her last six starts.The LPGA’s “what if” scenarios are out but won’t be finalized until play begins Thursday and strength of field is set.

As it stands now, if Pettersen wins this week, she ascends to No. 1 for the first time in her career. If Pettersen wins, Park can’t stop her from going to No. 1, even if Park finishes second in the tournament.

If Pettersen finishes second at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, she still goes to No. 1, as long as Park finishes 14th or worse.

Ochoa event's future uncertain, no TV coverage

The Lorena Ochoa Invitational’s future after this year’s event is uncertain.

While tournament organizers are committed to building on the six-year-old event, it appears as if this will be the last played in Guadalajara, the Mexican city where Ochoa was born and raised. Guadalajara Country Club, home to the event since its inception, is where Ochoa learned to play. Today, she lives in Mexico City, where she is married to Andres Conesa Labastida, president of Aeromexico. Just last week, Ochoa gave birth to their second child together, a daughter, Julia.

Ochoa’s tournament faces challenges after its government funding was unexpectedly pulled a few months ago. The loss of $1 million in funding caused the tournament to scrap its television plans this year.

LPGA officials told GolfChannel.com Thursday morning that the Lorena Ochoa Invitational will be on next year's schedule as the tournament works to secure a site, and that Ochoa will continue to host the event. The LPGA is working with Ochoa's group to secure the future of the event beyond next year. 

Ochoa was disappointed in that development.

“I’ve done so many things [for the government],” Ochoa told Golfweek. “What the tournament gives to them is so many positive things that the country needs in this moment. It’s a great, familiar event, very positive. It’s just very silly for them to say no.”

The LPGA addressed the lack of television coverage this week on its website:

“Unfortunately, the tournament was caught off-guard when the local government withdrew its financial support of the 2013 event – this was the support that financed the international television production. Based on this, the LPGA released the tournament organizers from their TV commitment, as we want all of our tournaments to be successful, and to be able to succeed long term. The tournament organizers have worked-out a local/Mexico TV package, and a highlights/update package with the U.S. Golf Channel, so our US fans/viewers can at least get regular updates in Golf Central, etc.

“Neither the tournament organizers nor the LPGA is happy with the fact that this great event will not be televised to our worldwide audience – but it is better to work through these issues with our tournament partners, than to be heavy-handed and require our partners to face financial crisis in delivering contractual agreements. We are working with the LOI team to address this problem and deliver great TV in the future.”

Only survivor of first Masters turns 103

Samuel Henry "Errie" Ball, the only surviving player from the first Masters in 1934, turned 103 on Thursday.
Ball, born in Bangor, Wales, celebrated a day early

with family and friends at the Yacht & Golf Club in Stuart, Fla.

Among those attending were Ball's wife, Maxie, 99; former PGA District 6 Director Bruce Patterson of Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, Ill.; and PGA Director of Golf Gerry Knebels of Willoughby Golf Club in Stuart. Patterson worked under Ball for 13 years and Knebels four at Butler National.

Asked the secret of his longevity, Ball said, "Live by moderation." He also noted that "since last week I now have a beer every day. Doesn’t matter what brand.”

Asked why he switched from his trademark Dewar’s scotch, he said with a wink, “I felt it was time.”

Q-School prize changes, entry fee remains the same

The PGA Tour qualifying tournament is nothing like it used to be except in one respect – the entry fees.

For the first time, Q-School no longer offers a player direct access to the PGA Tour. Instead, cards will be awarded only for the Web.com Tour. The entry fee, however, remains at the same level.

Players who have to go to pre-qualifying pay $2,500, and then an additional $2,700 to $3,500 (depending on how close they file to the entry deadline) if they advance. The fee for the first stage is between $4,500 and $6,000. Those exempt into the second stage pay between $4,000 and $5,000, while the final stage costs $3,500 to $4,500.

Even though the prize – a PGA Tour card – is not the same, it doesn't sound like the fees are coming down.

''Right now, we continue to have an entry fee at the same level,'' said Andy Pazder, the tour's chief of operations. ''One of the factors in setting that is making sure only the high-caliber player enters Q-School who legitimately is competitive at a high level. In some ways, we're making a player in his mind ask himself if his game is ready to make this kind of commitment.''

Another change this year is the prize money. D.H. Lee won Q-School last year and earned $50,000 (in addition to his PGA Tour card). The winner of this year's Q-School earns only $25,000.

Caddie Williams announces plans to scale back in 2015

MELBOURNE, Australia – Following his victory at this year’s Masters for his first major titleAdam Scott’s future seems limitless, but the Australian may have to forge ahead without Steve Williams on the bag.

Williams revealed last week that he plans to scale back his caddying schedule in 2015. Williams has caddied for 14 major champions, including 13 times with Tiger Woods and this year’s Masters, but after 35 years as a caddie the New Zealander appears ready to enjoy his golden years.

Williams, who will turn 50 next month, said he will caddie next season and then dial back his workload in ’15, perhaps working the more high-profile events like the majors and World Golf Championships to spend more time at home with his family and racing cars.

On Wednesday at Royal Melbourne, where he is preparing for this week’s Australian Masters, Scott was not sure how he would handle his caddie situation beyond 2014, but said the news that Williams may go into semi-retirement did not surprise him.

“He was honest with me a couple of years ago and said he didn’t have long in him,” Scott said. “If I play really good next year maybe I can persuade him to go one more season. He is getting along in years.”

Punch Shot: Better season – Mickelson or Scott?

Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson had the kind of seasons every golfer dreams about – multiple wins around the world, including that all-important, career-defining major. So who had the better season? GolfChannel.com writers weigh in:

By RYAN LAVNER

The 2013 season was deeply satisfying for both Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson, but Scott enjoyed a better, more consistent campaign, with last week’s Australian PGA a fitting coda.

Yes, both players won three times worldwide. Both players had a breakthrough major title. Both players padded their already considerable wallets.

So, what separated Scott?

Most notably, his excellence in the biggest events. The world No. 2 had three top 5s in majors, including his life-changing victory at the Masters. Phil had only two.

Scott also had a better scoring average and finished higher in the FedEx Cup race.

Phil had one more top 10 overall, but he did so in five more events.

Only three times Scott finished worse than 35th in a tournament. Phil had nine such events.

In career-defining seasons for both players, Scott's was just a little better.

By RANDALL MELL

They didn’t win a load of events this year, but they both captured our imaginations with such emotional breakthroughs.

Adam Scott or Phil Mickelson? They had such similarly gratifying seasons, how do you choose between them? Somebody hand me a dart.

They both won two PGA Tour events. They both won a major. They both won a third title internationally. Mickelson had seven top 10s on the PGA Tour, Scott six. Mickelson missed three cuts, Scott didn’t miss one.

Back against the wall, I’m going with Mickelson, but feeling dreadful about not picking Scott. I’m going with Lefty because his British Open breakthrough in a major that has exasperated and confounded him over the years came on the heels of another heartbreaking U.S. Open loss. The rebound gave Mickelson a larger overall starring role in this season than Scott, whose Masters victory was inspiring and riveting.

By JASON SOBEL

I’ll take Mickelson over Scott in what is essentially a toss-up.

Each player won a long-awaited major this year – Mickelson in his 20th appearance at the Open Championship; Scott as the first Australian to win the Masters. Each won one other PGA Tour event and another important international tournament. Each remained amongst the world’s top-five for much of the year.

Essentially, their performances were mirror images of each other. If we wanted to make this question even more difficult to answer, we could have thrown Tiger Woods’ name into the mix as well, in essence asking whether two more victories is “better” than winning a major.

In the end, I picked Mickelson for the sheer shock of his major over that of Scott. Prior to winning at Muirfield, the lefty had claimed only two career top-10 finishes at the Open. While it comes as little surprise that Scott broke the long losing streak for Aussies at Augusta, it’s still a tad jarring to see photos of Mickelson posing with a claret jug that most of us had assumed would always be out of reach.

For that reason alone, I give the nod in this one to Mickelson.

By WILL GRAY

While both players had fantastic years in 2013, I’m favoring the guy whose wins meant slightly more – Adam Scott.

Sure, Phil Mickelson’s victory at the Open Championship was meaningful, and his Sunday 66 was likely the single best round of the year. But the improvement from four majors to five – even from two legs of the career Grand Slam to three – isn’t as monumental as moving from zero to one.

Much as I would view Mickelson’s 2004 Masters triumph as more significant than his win this summer at Muirfield, so, too, does Adam Scott’s entrance into the ranks of the major winners deserve its just due. Add in the pressure of becoming the first Australian to don a green jacket, his win last week in his native land at the Australian PGA and his comeback victory in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and Scott’s 2013 ranks just ahead of Mickelson’s three-win campaign.

Though largely splitting hairs among two of the game’s best, the results for me mirror the current world rankings: Mickelson is way up there, but Scott has him beat.

Featured groups: DP World Tour Championship

he European Tour’s grand finale is this week in Dubai with the DP World Tour Championship. Here are a few groups to keep an eye on at Jumeirah Golf Estates:

9 a.m. local time (midnight ET) Thursday: Rory McIlroy, Darren Fichardt

McIlroy can’t go back-to-back in the Race to Dubai, but he can still defend his title in the season finale. Though it’s been a largely disappointing 2013 campaign, the world No. 6 has two top 10s in his last three worldwide starts and insists that his game is finally beginning to turn the corner. Whether that means he’ll get off the schneid before the season is through remains to be seen, of course.

11:05 a.m. local time (2:05 a.m. ET): Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez

There should be no shortage of conversation topics among two of the Euro Tour’s most eccentric characters, though it’s unlikely they’ll discuss the ways in which they kicked away the 2013 Open. Anyway, both players would love to pick up their first wins of the year and end the season with a bang. Jimenez, who turns 50 in January, hasn’t finished better than 57th in his last four starts. Westwood hasn’t won a tournament, per se, though he is coming off a victory of sorts in the closest-to-the-pin competition from the 22nd-floor balcony. On the course, he hasn’t finished better than 24th in the three Final Series events.

Stenson's goals: Win Race to Dubai, beat Poults

Hey, at least Henrik Stenson has his priorities in order on the eve of the European Tour’s season-ending event.

On Wednesday, he told reporters that his “No. 1 focus” was to win the season-long Race to Dubai, and rightfully so. He currently leads Justin Rose by 213,468 points, and he’s vying to become the first player to win both end-of-season prizes, the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai, in the same season.

No. 2? That’d be to win the DP World Tour Championship, which gets underway Thursday at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Last year’s tie for seventh was Stenson’s best career finish in the season finale.

And his third goal?

To finish ahead of Ian Poulter, of course.

You’ll recall that the Lake Nona, Fla., residents recently struck up a friendly wager. Poulter – given 10-1 odds – put up $100 to Stenson’s $1,000 that he could overtake him in the Race to Dubai. Since the bet was made, Poulter has trimmed his deficit from about 960,000 points to within 345,000, on the strength of three consecutive top-15 finishes.

Though $1,000 won’t hurt the wallet of a man who recently won the FedEx Cup (and took home the cool $11.44 million), the fact that he would have to spend the night as Poults’ personal drinks waiter provides plenty of incentive for Stenson.

“That’s probably my biggest motivation,” he told reporters, “not to become his servant for a day. He is certainly not going off that bet, and I know he is up my tail. …

“We’ll have to see if that priority changes at some point, but as of now, that’s the way I look at it. I know if I tick the other ones, that will take care of itself.”

Cheyenne recreates Tiger's golf-ball juggling ad

Golf-ball juggling must run in the Woods family.
Surely you remember the iconic Tiger Woods commercial, when he juggled a golf ball on his wedge, between the legs, behind the back and then long down the range. It was one of the greatest golf ads ever.

Now, Tiger’s niece, Cheyenne, an accomplished player in her own right, can do the same trick … albeit a bit more clumsily. She posted a video of the feat on her Instagram account on Tuesday:

Video: Tiger discusses drought, kids, Vonn

CNN’s Rachel Nichols tracked down Tiger Woods for a one-on-one interview in Turkey.

In the 7-minute interview, Woods discussed everything from his major drought to his children to the fitness of his fellow Tour players to girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.

You can watch the video here, but these are the highlights:

• On what has been the most gratifying part of his return to No. 1: “Going through and battling the injuries that I had, and to now finally come out on the other side, where I feel more consistent. I’ve won eight times in the last two years. I’m very, very proud of that.”

• On his major drought: “It’s frustrating, because I had a chance in two of them (this year). I’ve been there with chances to win on the weekend, I just haven’t won yet.”

• On what kind of father he is at his kids’ sporting events: “I don’t yell when they play T-ball or soccer. I just watch, support. I’ve been lately the watermelon guy. They need a little bit of sugar, getting a little tired, they’ll come over and I give them watermelon. I just watch, and that’s just a thrill.”

• On comparing his fitness to Vonn's: “It’s two totally different training regimens. If you look at some of the guys on Tour, they’ve got huge guts and can’t breathe when they’re going up to tee boxes, but they can still win golf tournaments. In her sport, if she’s not feeling close to 100 percent, you’re not going to win.”

• On whether Vonn’s claim that Woods is “dorky-goofy” is fair: “Uh, I guess so. My teammates used to call me Urkel back in college. Yeah, I do have that little nerdy of side of me. That’s probably why I got into Stanford.”

Ko among Time's most influential teens

Lydia Ko’s precocious talents are resonating beyond the golf course.

Time magazine on Tuesday released its list of the 16 most influential teenagers in the world. Ko was among them.

Ko, 16, became the youngest winner of an LPGA title last year when she won the CN Canadian Women’s Open and then repeated as winner this year. The Korean-born New Zealander will make her debut as a pro next week at the CME Group Titleholders in Naples, Fla. She rose back to No. 4 in the Rolex world rankings this week.

Ko is in some good company. Malala Yousafzai, 16, the Pakistani activist who was shot in the head and neck for standing up for the education of girls under Taliban rule also made Time’s list. So did Malia Obama, 15, one of President Barack Obama’s daughters; and Lorde, 17, the singer-songwriter from New Zealand. Count pop star Justin Bieber, 19, among the most influential teens; as well as programming whiz kid Nick D’Aloisio, 18, who designed Summly, a news reading and summarizing app; and Missy Franklin, 18, the American Olympic gold medal swimmer.

Ko meets 'idol' Mickelson at Callaway center

Newly minted pro Lydia Ko has shown few nerves in beating some of the LPGA’s best players.

Meeting Phil Mickelson? A different story entirely.

The 16-year-old tweeted that she met her “idol” Tuesday at the Callaway fitting center. Ko hasn’t yet signed an equipment deal since turning pro. Perhaps this is an indication which direction she is leaning.

Lefty signed a yellow Open flag – they’re just lying around, apparently? – with a message for the world No. 4: “Lydia, Best of luck with your career!”

Breaking down the LPGA trophy races

There’s a lot at stake going into the final two events of the LPGA season.

With the top three players in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings in this week’s field at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, season-ending trophies and honors hang in the balance.

An overview:

Rolex Player of the Year: Inbee Park has a comfortable lead, with Suzann Pettersen the only player who can catch her. Unlike the PGA Tour, this isn’t decided by a vote. Park leads the POY points race with 290. Pettersen is second at 252. A victory is worth 30 points in both the Lorena Ochoa Invitational and the season-ending CME Group Titleholders with second place worth 12 points, third worth nine and points awarded down to 10th place.

Pettersen must win one of the final two events and finish at least tied for third in the other to have a chance to pass Park, but that’s if Park doesn’t score a single point.

Rolex world No. 1 ranking: Pettersen has a chance to overtake Park this week as the new No. 1. It’s remarkable given the record-setting season Park has enjoyed.

While projections can’t be determined definitively until this week’s strength of field is finalized with the start of play, Pettersen has a chance to take the No. 1 ranking with a victory and possibly even a second-place finish this week, depending on what Park does and how the strength of field ends up.

Money title – Park, who won the money title a year ago, leads in earnings again this season with Pettersen close behind her. Stacy Lewis is a long-shot but still mathematically within reach of winning the money title.

There is a $150,000 first-place check up for grabs at the Lorena Invitational and a $500,000 winner’s check at stake at the Titleholders next week.

Here are the current money leaders:

1. Inbee Park – $2,335,460

2. Suzann Pettersen – $2,241,847

3. Stacy Lewis – $1,791,181

Vare Trophy – Lewis leads the tour with the lowest scoring average, but Pettersen and Park are both within striking distance to take the trophy:

1. Stacy Lewis – 69.54

2. Suzann Pettersen – 69.59

3. Inbee Park – 69.93

Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year – Germany’s Caroline Masson leads a very tight competition. It’s a three-woman race with none of the top contenders in this week’s field at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational but all three scheduled to play the season finale. With 150 points up for grabs to the winner at the Titleholders, the top three all have a chance to take the honor.

The ROY points leaders:

1. Caroline Masson – 474

2. Moriya Jutanugarn – 463

3. Ayako Uehara – 384.

Scenarios: How contenders can win Race to Dubai

Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell control their own destiny this week at the DP World Tour Championship. They can capture the season-long Race to Dubai with a victory at the European Tour’s season finale.

As for the rest of the scenarios? Well, that takes some complicated math.

Basically, the top nine in the standings still have a mathematical chance to win the big prize. Those nine players, in order: Stenson, Rose, McDowell, Ian Poulter, Jamie Donaldson, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Thongchai Jaidee, Richard Sterne and Victor Dubuisson. 

The European Tour crunched the numbers and here is what needs to happen in Dubai:

To have any chance of overtaking Stenson:

• Rose needs to finish fifth or better

• G-Mac needs third or better

• Poulter needs third or better

• Donaldson needs second or better

• Castano, Jaidee, Sterne and Dubuisson must win 

After second leukemia bout, Lyle ready for return

MELBOURNE, Australia – For a man who has endured two bouts with leukemia, countless rounds of chemotherapy and perhaps the most emotional 20 months imaginable, Jarrod Lyle spent Tuesday at the Australian Masters bracing for his next challenge.

Lyle, who was driven from golf in early 2012 when doctors discovered he was beset with leukemia for the second time, is making his competitive return this week at Royal Melbourne, but it wasn’t the iconic sand belt layout that was his greatest concern.

“This week the emotional side will be the hardest ... I’m crying now,” Lyle said.

Lyle overcame leukemia as a teenager in 1999 and was entering his fifth season on the PGA Tour in 2012 when an infection on his arm sent him home to Australia to see his doctors. Four days later he began chemotherapy treatments again, but not until he was able to hold his daughter, Lusi, who was born on March 11.

The 32-year-old endured multiple chemotherapy treatments and underwent a bone marrow transplant before doctors declared him cancer free in June. Two months ago doctors cleared him to start playing golf again and he picked Royal Melbourne, which is about two hours from where he grew up, to begin his comeback.

“It’s been 20 of the hardest months I’ve been through, but now it’s like I never left,” Lyle said. “The hardest part is going back out and seeing everyone. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to start my comeback.”

Lyle lost about 35 pounds during his treatment and some players on Tuesday even joked, “where’s the rest of you?” Although he admits his game is rusty, he figures he’s playing at about 70 percent of where he was before his second bout with leukemia, his goal this week was to make the cut.

“He’s hitting it pretty good, but to be honest Tour ready is a little ways away,” said Lyle’s swing coach, Sandy Jamieson.

Lyle will have 20 starts on the Tour when he returns on a major medical exemption to earn about $283,000. He is using this week as a litmus test to check the status of his game and his stamina, which has been the most difficult part of his recovery.

“This is it,” said Lyle, who is hitting the ball shorter than he did in 2012 but straighter. “I will put the clubs away for a little bit and figure things out after this.”

But it will be the emotion of the moment more so than his golf game that will be the biggest challenge this week. In 2005 at the Heineken Open Lyle initially made his mark as a professional when he put himself into contention at Royal Melbourne.

He estimated that teeing off on Thursday for Round 1 of the Australian Masters will be similar to his Sunday start in ’05.

“I wanted to hit driver (on Sunday at the Heineken Open) because it is the biggest club and I had the best chance of not missing it,” he said. “Walking to that first tee and trying to tee the ball up will be the hardest.”

Players have flocked to Lyle this week to celebrate his return, so much so he’s had to put extra focus into practice, and the well-wishing continued into a cold and rainy afternoon.

“It was horrible news,” Geoff Ogilvy said. “It’s exciting he is doing really well and that he gets to play his first tournament here.”

Officials have designed a special hat with Lyle’s signature “duck” logo on them that will benefit the Challenge foundation which is dedicated to helping cancer survivors and their families, and he said having so much support this week will likely distract from his competitive focus.

But that’s OK.

“I’m going to dedicate that first tee shot to everyone who has contacted us and supported us,” Lyle said with his voice cracking.

It was just the beginning of what promises to be an emotional week for Lyle, but as he’s proven time and again he’s adapt at overcoming adversity.

Golfer survives croc attack, receives 200 stitches

Play golf in Cancun at your own risk.

A 58-year-old Scotsman survived a harrowing attack by a 12-foot crocodile at Iberostar Cancun Golf Club, but not without a little help from his friends, who reportedly battered the croc with a 9-iron and eventually ran it over with a golf cart.

According to a report in the Daily Record, which posted the grisly photos online, Dougie Thomson needed 200 stitches to close a gaping wound in his thigh. One of his friends told the paper that he could see the bone in Thomson’s leg.

After Thomson played a shot from a waste bunker, the crocodile jumped out of the bushes, chomped on his leg, and dragged him “4 or 5 feet” toward the water.

That’s when his friends jumped in, first bludgeoning the beast with a golf club and then, later, by ramming the golf cart into its side.

“My leg is a complete mess,” Thomson told the paper. “It’s only by the grace of God I’m alive – and I’m an atheist. If my friends hadn’t seen what was happening, I would have just disappeared.” 

Now, Thomson, who lives in Toronto, said he likely will need plastic surgery and is reportedly threatening legal action against the course, which is under scrutiny for the second time in the past few months. In September, a 50-year-old New Yorker reportedly lost two fingers during a round, though the course claims that he was feeding the crocodile, which is never wise.

European Tour defends drug-testing policy

The European Tour says it does not “have a problem at all” with performance-enhancing drugs on its circuit, even in the wake of Justin Rose’s startling claim that he has never been drug tested during European Tour events.

First, some context: Rose, like many other top Europeans, plays heavily on both sides of the Atlantic. The European Tour also uses results taken during events on the PGA Tour and usually does not re-test those well-traveled players. 

To that point, David Garland, the director of operations for the European Tour, told Sky Sports on Wednesday: “If Justin Rose has been tested three or four times in America, maybe I might take him out of the random process because we know he’s already been tested. I’m privy to the results, and I don’t think we have a problem at all.

“But we are not complacent and we will be continuing our testing, although it’s not every single week.”

Last week Rose said he was drug tested twice while in the States this season. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, told reporters that he was tested “like five times this year. That’s usually about the number for most guys.”